


Ineffable Event 2019: An Archangel Study

by Beckers522



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Archangels, Crowley Was Raphael Before Falling (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-12-27 19:51:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21124295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beckers522/pseuds/Beckers522
Summary: Written for tumblr's 'Ineffable Event 2019'. For each day's prompt, I plan to write a short story on one of the seven Archangels. The prompts and stories will be as follows:1. In the Beginning - Uriel2. The Firmament - Gabriel3. Land and Sea and Plants - Michael4. Sun, Moon, and Stars - Raphael5. Birds and Fish - Remiel6. What Makes us Human? - Barachiel7. Day of Rest - Azrael





	1. In the Beginning: Uriel

In the Beginning, there were Six.

It was a strange experience - going from Nothing to Something. The Archangels had no words to describe the sensation. How could they, when they had been the first? How could they, when the phrases they wanted to use like: ‘a light trickle of water racing down their spine’ or ‘a sudden blaze of fire coming to life inside their stomachs’ hadn’t been invented yet? There was no water, there was no fire. No spines or stomachs. There was Nothing. 

And then, suddenly, there they were.

She opened her eyes to find herself floating in an expanse of nothing. It was neither light nor dark, as those things did not exist. There was nothing physical here. Nothing to be seen, although she could feel the presence of others around her. Five others similar to herself. And one more who felt...Warmer. Bigger. Filled with Life and Love and so many other things she didn’t know how to describe. There were no words. Only feelings.

Time was still an infinity away from beginning so they could have waited there in the void for an eternity and things likely would have felt the same. Eventually, the loving presence all around them coalesced into a single voice, a breath of a whisper, calling out to them like a gentle summer’s breeze.

_ My angels, _ She beathed into the space around them.  _ I am so happy you are here with me. _

So, they were to be called ‘angels’. The term danced around her like a beautiful song. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be able to respond. To tell Her how grateful they all were that she had created them. How excited they all were to see all that could be.

And why couldn’t she? Why couldn’t she reach out and say something back? There were no rules here, no decision made as to what could and couldn’t be. What was stopping her from greeting the one who had created them? What was preventing her from giving voice to her gratitude?

What could she possibly say? How were there words enough to describe the feelings swirling in the void all around her - around them all? She could try for all of eternity and it would never be enough.

If only she could see Her face. Maybe then she might know what to do.

_ Let there be light, _ the angel willed, and there was. An eternity later, or perhaps immediately after those words had been spoken (it was impossible to tell), six pulsing, beating orbs of light appeared in the void - each a slightly different shade of white. They burned brightly, casting shadows far away that would soon be called ‘dark’. They grew and shifted and morphed into something never seen before. Something tall and strong, with powerful, glowing white wings and bright shining eyes and smiles that became an outward representation of their inward peace and joy.

The Six angels floated there, looking around at each other, gazing into their siblings’ faces for the first time, awe and wonder etched into every crevice of every smile. Light pulsed within each of their bodies, dancing across their skin and illuminating the area around them. There was nothing here yet, but each of the Six knew there would be. They could see the potential in the void around them just as they could see the heavenly strands within their own bodies. It glowed brighter than anything they could have ever imagined. 

_ Well done, My Light, _ She whispered into the void and the angel smiled.  _ My Light.  _ The Almighty’s light.  _ Her  _ light. God’s light.

Uriel. 

She had a name now. A name and a family and a purpose, and though time did not exist yet, she had a future. A future brighter than any of them could ever imagine.

_ And there was evening and there was morning, on the first day. _


	2. The Firmament: Gabriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel helps to create the seas and the sky.

The light dawned on the second day to reveal a swirling mass of blue, stretching on as far as their eyes could see. It was a spiraling mixture of deep and gentle, of light and dark, which, thanks to Uriel, they could now understand. The archangels hovered over the kaleidoscope of color, their wings outstretched behind them, still as the darkness they had seen the previous day. Watching. Waiting for the wondrous thing that was sure to come next.

“What should we do?” Uriel asked, her melodious voice drifting through the void around them. He turned toward her, smiling at her deep eyes, so different than the swirling mass of color around them, but no less beautiful.

“We should separate the colors,” he responded, glancing around, marveling at how the strands had gotten so tangled up in each other. It would be hard work, to pull them apart again, but he was certain that was what they were meant to do. “Sort them by shade. Put them in order. We need proper order, don’t we?”

The other archangels did not know. It seemed as good a thing as any to do. They got to work - hands newly formed, soft yet strong, began to pull at the threads of the universe. Tugging them apart and weaving them back together. He drifted upward, bringing with him the lights - the baby blues and periwinkles and shades so close to white he could not tell them apart while some of the others drifted down. With them, they took the dark - the deep navy and turquoise and rich royals. From top to bottom, light to dark, a full spectrum of color.

“What about this one?” one of the archangels asked, long hair flaming red like fire. Though they did not know what fire was, they knew well enough to describe his hair as such. In his hands, he held a strand of darkness, not really blue. Not really brown. So dark it almost looked alive. It shimmered as he moved it about, hinting at the promise of potential. The sight of it took their breath away.

“Put it up top.” He suggested, not really knowing why. “Something as beautiful as this shouldn’t be buried away.” The red-haired angel beamed at him, drifting upward past the ceruleans and the pale blues. Past the faint haze of white and beyond, disappearing with the strand of darkness, wrapping it around them like a blanket, invisible while they were surrounded by day, but they all had a feeling they would see it again soon. 

All too soon, their work was done. The blues had been separated, dark shades swirling beneath them, intense, but inviting. Some of the archangels flew down to admire their work, wings flapping as a gentle breeze blew past them, bringing with it scents of salt and brine.

He breathed in deep, marveling at the surge of strength he felt every time the white wings on his back beat up and down. The breeze blew by again, tousling his brown hair. He breathed it in deep and, with a laugh of joy, the Archangel surged upward spiraling around in the air

_ And there shall be a space between the waters of the Heavens and the waters of the Earth _ , Her voice whispered upon the gentle breeze, filling them all with Light and Love. He could not wipe the smile from his face, nor would he ever want to. _ And the space shall be called ‘sky’. _

“Sky,” he breathed, extending his wings and riding the air currents further up. Up and up until he reached the edge of it all, his eyes taking in the gorgeous black curtain around them, empty for now, but filled with so much promise of what was to come. 

_ You have done well, My Strength. _Her voice echoed in his heart and he knew all the others would hear.

Her Strength. God’s Strength.

Gabriel.

_ And there was evening and morning on the second day. _


	3. Land and Sea and Plants: Michael

Flying was the most wonderful thing in all the universe. Michael was convinced of it. Nothing compared to the feeling of the wind in their hair and the surge of energy that coursed through their body as the air currents lifted them up and up and up. They soared over the waters below as the currents stretched on forever, tossing and turning like a beautiful tapestry beneath them. One that they could gaze at forever.

Still, even after a while, the most wonderful action was bound to grow a bit tedious. 

There was a bird (or would be eventually – when birds were finally invented) that had the ability to stay aloft in the air for up to seven months at a time. It would feed off other creatures that flew through the sky and was able to drink water and sleep while riding the air currents up toward the heavens.

Angels, who were much stronger than any bird would ever be, could go much longer in the air without stopping - or would have if time was there for them to start counting. But what was the point of it all? There had to be more in store for them than just flying above this massive expanse of blue for all of eternity.

Perhaps if they investigated a bit more, they could figure it all out. Perhaps if they flew a bit closer to the waves, things would begin to make sense.

So, Michael drifted further down. Down, away from their Archangel companions, away from the sky blue and the glowing yellow orb they’d called a ‘sun’. Away from the light and the warmth and down toward the salty sea spray that tickled their skin with every gentle breeze that blew past.

The spray was cold, but refreshing, and Michael had the sudden urge to feel it all over their skin. From the top of their head to the tips of their toes.

Based on the way they were currently oriented, it might be better to reverse the order. Start with the toes, instead of the head.

Michael shivered as they flew even lower, water lapping against the soles of their feet. Behind them, their wings beat furiously, straining with the effort of hovering in one place. If only there was something more solid here for them to land on.

The moment that thought entered Michael’s mind, the waters beneath them shifted, parting right beneath them as something dark, something _big_ began to drift up from the ocean depths. It felt hard beneath Michael’s feet, lifting them upward just enough so that the water was no longer touching them. The only remnants tiny droplets that quickly rolled down the hill, back toward their home in the ever expansive sea.

Quickly, Michael lifted their arms and extended their wings in an attempt to keep their balance as the dark, hard surface began to extend outward in all directions, pushing the water back. Further and further away until it was out of sight.

What had just happened? Had they just gotten rid of the oceans? How? And for what? For this uninteresting, stagnant brown blob?

Disappointment welled up inside of them. Michael glanced upward at the sky, catching a glimpse of Uriel as she soared high above. They couldn’t see the expression on the other Archangel’s face, but Michael could still sense her awe and wonder. What was she able to see, way up there, that couldn’t be seen from down here?

Michael took a step forward, ready to launch themselves back up into the sky, when something caught their eye. Underneath the area where their foot had just been was a tiny collection of small objects. They stuck out of the ground, rising only a few inches off the ground and constantly growing as the Archangel continued to walk. Frowning, Michael took a step back and saw the same thing happening to the area where their other foot had been.

This was different. This was _new. _Michael had never seen something like this before. Something so fragile, so vibrant, so filled with _life. _Gently, they knelt down to get a better look.

Everywhere the Archangel touched, this enchanting substance was growing up from the ground, spreading outward just as the brown, earthy land had done moments before. There was something familiar about this. Something they couldn’t quite place.

“This is beautiful, Michael!” Uriel praised as she landed beside them. The Archangel looked up to see her smiling down at him, brown eyes drifting over to the still growing objects in front of them.

_Eyes._ Something about that thought struck a chord with them. The land beneath their feet was rich and identical in color to Uriel’s eyes. Just as the new material covering the land was the same color as Michael’s.

Green. That was the thought they’d been missing. This material was green. A new color. Something they had never seen before except for in a reflection upon the ocean waves.

Michael wondered what other colors were left to explore. What other wonders they could create if given the opportunity.

“There’s so much of it!” she was gushing, walking ahead several more steps. Michael’s eyes widened is more of the green sprouted in her wake. Beaming, she turned to face them again. “How will we ever cover it all?”

Finally, the Archangel moved to stand, brushing the soft brown substance from their hands. Gently, Michael smiled in Uriel’s direction, an idea already forming in their mind.

“We’re going to need some help.”

_And there was evening and morning the third day. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I fell behind on this project this week! It's been a busy one, to say the least. Hopefully I can catch myself up tomorrow and finish strong on Sunday (Day 7 is my absolute favorite one in my outline and I cannot wait to write it)
> 
> Also, for anyone that's curious, the bird referenced here is the Alpine Swift. I was amazed at all I learned while reading about it. Seriously, and incredible creature!


	4. Sun, Moon, and Stars: Raphael

Heaven was getting crowded.

It wasn’t that there were so many of them that they were physically pressed up against each other. Earth was large and Heaven even larger, so there was plenty of space. But they had started with only six of them. Raphael had liked it when there were only six of them. Things were much quieter. Much calmer. They took creation at their own pace, never feeling the need to rush, never feeling the need to communicate with words unless they wanted to.

The Archangels all had a connection with each other. They understood one another without having to say a word. These other angels? They were strangers to him. They flew around, flitting from one part of the Earth to another, working on creating grass and trees and flowers of all shapes and sizes. And _talking_. The talked never ceased.

Perhaps that was why Raphael volunteered to take on their newest project. Perhaps that is why he took it upon himself to fly up and up, past the clouds and the sky, past the outer edges of the Earth and into the darkness beyond. The familiar, shimmering darkness Raphael himself had pulled from the mass of colors ages ago when they’d separated the waters of Heaven and the waters of the Earth.

He took no one with him. There were other angels assisting with the task. Other angels that could fly far in the opposite direction, far away from him and leave him in peace. He went alone, and there in the darkness, Raphael’s true light began to shine.

The process was simple, and delicate, and so beautiful it took his breath away. Raphael drifted through the never-ending void, stopping every once in a while when he felt he’d put enough distance from the last place he’d been. The Archangel smiled gently, closed his amber eyes, and remembered. He remembered the feeling of waking up for the first time. Remembered the warmth that had filled his entire being. Remembered the feeling of being _alive_. Raphael called on that warmth now, allowing it to fill him up completely once again.

When he opened his eyes once more, the Archangel held a tiny ball of gold in his hands. It pulsed and drifted gently across his palms, shining light outward in all directions. Raphael watched, transfixed, as shadows danced across his fingertips. A soft smile lit up his face as he watched the tiny star twinkle in the darkness around them. His heart filled with warmth as the Archangel gently released it into the void, watching it hover in the empty space for a few moments before he drifted out further into the darkness to the next ideal location.

Every once in a while, Raphael would make his way back to Earth. He liked to see the progress the other angels had made in shaping the verdant planet, liked to marvel at the new things they had created together. Sometimes, he would even fly close enough to land, hiding behind one of the tall leafy trees to simply watch the other angels as they worked. He never stayed long, never let any of them see him, for fear they would try to interact with him. Raphael preferred to be on his own. Preferred to simply watch from his place among the stars.

During one of these moments, Raphael spotted something that gave him pause. He had just landed among a grove of trees and was making his way to a gentle stream when a voice caught his attention. It was soft, and gentle, and filled the air with a sound he’d never heard before.

Slowly, Raphael drew closer to the sound. As he peeked his head around a wide tree trunk, the Archangel caught sight of another angel. He was slightly shorter, with soft blonde curls and a round face that was currently lit up with a gentle smile. The angel was kneeling by the water, his hand brushing against the grassy shore as he absentmindedly stared at the rippling clear water below.

Raphael watched in wonder as tiny white flowers began to sprout up everywhere the angel’s fingers touched the earth. The sound that filled the air around them was coming from him, Raphael was sure of it, but the angel’s mouth was closed. So how was he making any sound?

Perhaps that was why he was not speaking actual words. How could he when the angel wasn’t opening his mouth to let the sound come out properly? Perhaps it was the closed mouth that made the sound seem so strange. If that was the case, why did it seem so much more beautiful than any words the Archangel had ever heard?

“What are you doing?” the Archangel heard himself asking. Before he’d realized what was happening, Raphael stepped out from behind the tree to stand across the bank from the other angel, his golden eyes fixed on the other being.

Almost immediately, the sound stopped. The angel looked up in Raphael’s direction and the Archangel was suddenly met with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.

The sight of them took Raphael’s breath away, which was an odd sensation, to say the least, as he didn’t need to breathe at all.

“Oh,” the angel murmured, hastily looking away, a gentle blush creeping up his neck and onto his round cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“No,” Raphael began, wishing the sound would start up again. He took a few hesitant steps forward and knelt down directly across from the angel opposite him so that they were only a few feet apart. “Whatever you were doing was lovely. I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

The other angel smiled brightly, a smile that was brighter than the sun above them, but said nothing. His hand trailed along the grass next to him, white flowers springing up all over the place wherever the angel’s skin made contact with the grass underneath. Raphael was enraptured.

“Please,” he found himself saying, gazing into the other angel’s dazzling eyes – as blue as the sky above them, with tiny flecks of silver like the moon that shone at night. “Bother me some more.”

“What?” A look of confusion passed over his face. Raphael smiled.

“Bother me again,” Raphael insisted. “That sound you were making before. Will you do it again?”

Again, the angel blushed, but he closed his eyes and shut his lips and the sound started again. Soft, and sweet, sailing through the air like a feather upon the breeze. Raphael drank it in, his eyes hovering over the other angel’s face for a moment longer before falling down to the ground around him.

It was covered with a blanked of flowers now. They looked achingly familiar. Like stars scattered across the night sky.

“It’s called music,” the angel supplied after a few moments, opening his eyes once more to look at Raphael. “At least, I think that’s what they’ve been calling it. I heard some of the other angels singing earlier and thought I’d give it a try.”

“Only,” the angel blushed again as his blue eyes darted away. Raphael found himself wanting to step forward, leap across the water between them so he could stand at the angel’s side. So he could place a hand under the angel’s chin and lift his head. Anything to see those breathtaking eyes again. “I didn’t want to bother anyone. So I tried making the sound softer.”

“It’s lovely. You shouldn’t worry about trying to hide it.” Raphael felt another smile making its way onto his face. For the first time, he wondered if maybe, having all these extra angels in Heaven wasn’t such a bad thing after all. “Sing for all of creation to hear.”

The smile that the angel gave him in that moment filled the Archangel so much light and warmth that Raphael felt he might actually explode. He couldn’t ever imagine being happier.

And if, later on, as the Archangel was up in the Heavens, placing star after star into the deep night sky – if he thought of the gentle angel with the curly blonde hair and the vibrant blue eyes, it could only be considered a good thing. If the memory of his quiet song and beaming smile filled Raphael’s heart with a brilliant warmth that shone brighter than ever before, it only allowed him to do his job that much better.

And if, when he closed his eyes and pictured the trees and the grass and the little white star-flowers and the way that angel had smiled at him and only him - _if _when he opened his eyes, he found two small stars instead of one, one a gentle blue and the other an intense amber, orbiting each other like participants in an eternal dance…

Well, creation deserved a little reminder of music and smiles as bright as the sun and sparkling blue eyes filled with light and love each and every time they gazed up into the shimmering night sky.


	5. Birds and Fish: Remiel

They called the garden Eden.

No one seemed to know where the name had come from or what it even meant, but the moment it had been spoken aloud, all the angels in Heaven knew it was  _ right. _

Many of the angels that had been created were down in Eden now, prepping and preparing and busying themselves, getting ready for…something. They weren’t entirely sure what “humans” were yet, but the word had been floating around and the excitement that came with it was palpable.

Remiel spend most of her time in Heaven. She had been given a task, a very important task of watching over the humans. Guiding them to lives filled with Light and Love. Since they were not here yet, she didn’t have all that much to do.

So, the Archangel took to observing. She watched as the angels flew about the Earth, to all corners, creating forests and rivers and mountains. Filling the world with things called  _ animals _ . Ones that swam in the water and crawled upon the earth. Ones that ran and raced and climbed through the trees. Ones that soared through the air, in and amongst the clouds, hovering over the land just as the angels did.

Her favorites were the ones that flew about in the sky. And not only because they reminded her of her winged siblings. But because of the one special angel who made them.

Angels were not supposed to have favorites. They were formed to love all of creation, and Remiel did. She loved Earth and Heaven and all their inhabitants more than she ever knew she could. But there was one angel that caught her attention every time he flew by. One angel whose gaze she found herself actively seeking out. One angel whose stormy grey eyes would be forever etched into her mind, his soft smile etched upon her heart.

His name was Hadriel, and he had been the first angel she’d ever seen created in front of her own eyes. His light had enraptured her and from that moment forward, Remiel had found every excuse she could come up with to spend as many moments with him as possible. 

“Did you make all of these?” Remiel asked one of the times she came down to Earth for a visit, her brown eyes alight with wonder as she looked around at the dozens of different creatures flitting about in the trees. They were all different shapes and sizes – every color she had seen as well as ones she had yet to experience. The air was filled with song and Remiel shut her eyes savoring the experience, the gentle, firm grip of Hadriel’s hand in her own, tethering her to this moment, ensuring she would never forget.

“Yes,” the other angel breathed, glancing down at her with a soft smile. She was momentarily distracted by his soft grey eyes, how they shimmered in the sunlight. How they looked at her like she was the most precious thing in all of creation. Remiel found she could not look away.

“They’re beautiful.” She smiled back up at him, then glanced over as one of the creatures landed on a branch nearby, spreading its wings to do a bit of preening. The Archangel’s smile widened.

“Look at their wings!” Remiel could barely contain her excitement. “Oh, Hadriel, they’re amazing. You made so many and they’re all so beautiful and unique!” A laugh escaped her lips, pure and rich and filled with joy. “I love them!”

He squeezed her hand as she pulled him over to the nearest tree, falling to the green, grassy ground in a fit of laughter, startling the creatures into flight above them. Remiel smiled and shifted around so her back was up against the tree trunk. They would be back soon enough. There was no real danger here in Eden and all the creatures who lived her knew that, deep down.

They sat there for some time, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand just watching the creatures as they flittered from tree to tree. Remiel leaned up against Hadriel’s side, resting her head on the white robe covering his shoulder. She couldn’t see his face, but the Archangel felt him turn to look at her. She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

“I made them for you.”

Love filled Remiel’s heart as moisture began to fill her eyes. What was this? Why was she reacting this way? How was this one angel able to affect her in ways that no one else in all of creation could?

“Thank you.”

Silence fell around them once more. Remiel breathed in deep, savoring the scents of rich earth and flower blossoms filling the air around them. The bright warm sun beat down around them, warming the air to a comfortable temperature. Beneath the shade of the fruit tree, they were protected and safe and free to spend time – just the two of them.

This was paradise.

Eventually, Hadriel spoke again. His voice was quiet, head turned toward her, words spoken for only her ears to hear.

“Do you ever wonder,” he began, breath tickling the tiny hairs that had fallen against her forehead. “If the humans are meant to live here, if Eden is to be their home – why does the Almighty send some of us out into the rest of the world to work. Why create lakes and rivers with fish and forests filled with an abundance of creatures if the humans will never see anything outside this garden?”

Remiel frowned. To be honest, she’d never really thought about it before. “I’m sure She has her reasons,” the Archangel mused. “Best not to speculate.”

And there, the conversation ended, for a while.

* * *

_ And there was evening and there was morning on the fifth day. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The remaining three chapters in this work involve my OC Archangels and tie into my other story "Love is a Temporary Madness " that is currently being written. If you want to see more of them, feel free to check it out!!


	6. What Makes Us Human: Barachiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exploring the creation of humanity and what it means.

Only one time, God came down to Earth. She hovered over the grassy fields and flitted amongst the trees and stopped only when She came to the riverside. There, She knelt against the shore and began to work.

The angels crowded around her, hovering in the air, watching and waiting to see the wonders that were sure to unfold. She kneaded the ground with Her hands, forming it, smoothing it, shaping it into a pair of beings that looked like them apart from the wings. She stood, placing Her hands on their cheeks, touched Her head to their foreheads, and took a breath.

For a moment, nothing happened. Everything around them stilled except for the gentle beating of wings, holding the angels aloft in the sky.

And then, cracks began to show on the muddy brown surface. Silver light peeked through, shattering the outer shell as it fell away, revealing the wonder that She had called ‘Humanity’. She smiled as they took their first breath, and vanished as they opened their eyes for the very first time.

“They’re beautiful,” Barachiel breathed sometime later as he watched the pair of creatures walk beneath the trees, their skin alight with the silver glow of the moon above them. “What are they for?”

_They are my child,_ She responded and a wave of intense Love washed over the Archangel. _They are here to grow and learn. To live and to love. To mature._

Barachiel nodded his head, although he did not fully understand. Why must they learn? If The Almighty wanted them to know things, why did She not just make them know? Why put them in a place where they had to learn at all? What was the point?

“What is my purpose, in all of this?” the Archangel asked as he watched the humans make their way down to the riverside. Watched as they dipped their toes into the cool waters, their eyes widening in delight at the sensation.

Perhaps that was why learning was so important. Like the humans, Barachiel had not known everything when the world was made. He and the other Archangels had discovered it together. The act of learning and discovering all the wonder She had in store for them had brought the Six closer together than ever before. It had sparked a connection in them that he knew would never fade.

He loved them all, with everything that he was. Almost as much as he loved Her.

_You are to listen to their prayers._

Barachiel looked over at Her. “Prayers?”

There was a soft smile in Her voice as she answered. _You will hear the deepest desires of their hearts. Every praise of joy. Every cry of need. You will let them know that someone hears them. It is how they will know they are loved._

_You will love them. With all that you are. With everything you have._

_You will love them more than me._

The joy in Barachiel’s heart stilled. How? How could She ever expect him to love anything more than Her? Least of all these humans? Sure, they were lovely creatures. Barachiel had faith that they were important, that they had a purpose just like the rest of them in Heaven and on Earth, but to be asked such a thing? To love them more than Her? How was that possible?

He could not fathom it.

_They are my child,_ he could hear Her reminder, voice like a whisper now. She was fading, and his heart cried out for her to stay._ You will hear them. You will guide them._

_You will love them more than me._

_And there was evening and morning on the sixth day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a short one, but we've officially hit the end of the creation story. Up next is Azrael's chapter, which I'm planning on being a bit longer and should feature everyone we've seen so far. 
> 
> Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy!


	7. Day of Rest: Azrael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the Seventh Day, God rested, and the whole world went up in flames.

On the seventh day, God rested.

God rested, and the whole world went up in flames.

* * *

A cloud of dark smoke fell over Heaven as the golden flames burned ever brighter. Uriel squinted through the darkness, tried to call upon her own light to banish it, to stop the chaos, but no matter how hard she tried, how loud she cried, she was only met with deafening silence and bright, golden flames that lapped at her skin as she pressed forward.

The fire was hot against her skin, burning as it mixed with the holy tears running down her cheeks, staining her dark skin gold. Still, Uriel fought on. She cried out for the other Archangels. Surely they would know what to do. Surely, together, they could find a way to stop this madness.

If only she could find them.

* * *

The sword lay heavy in Gabriel’s hand as he stalked across the Heavens, doing his best to avoid the flaming holes that had opened up in the floor beneath them. Angels were falling left and right as the fire burned ever brighter, purging Heaven of all those who would disobey Her. Ridding their home of everyone who questioned Her will.

Out of the smoke, a figure leapt in his direction. Gabriel lifted the sword to parry her blow, his violet eyes registering a short stature and flash of dark hair. For the briefest moment, panic filled Gabriel’s heart. Then the angel raised her face and he realized it was not Remiel standing before him and that panic turned to rage.

“You have gone against the Almighty’s Plan,” he declared, advancing on the rogue angel, righteous fury burning around him. “Heaven is no place for rebels and traitors like you.” The Archangel pressed forward, striking her down, pushing her back into the golden flames.

He watched as a shriek of pain escaped her lips. Before his eyes, her white wings burned black. The floor beneath her opened up, swallowing her whole, sending her down down down to wherever she belonged now.

The world needed order. It was time for this chaos to end, once and for all.

Gabriel’s grip on his sword tightened and slowly he turned around, looking for the next angel that needed to be put in their place.

Violet eyes met amber and with a pang in his heart, Gabriel knew what he had to do.

* * *

"Samael!”

Michael’s cry echoed in the space around them. The other angel turned to face them, his eyes burning crimson with fury.

“You have gone too far, Samael,” the Archangel declared. “This needs to end. Call them all off, before it’s too late.”

The angel simply laughed, deep and strong and filled with such malice. Michael wondered how they hadn’t seen it before. How had they not noticed the destruction that was lying right underneath their noses, just waiting to strike? Waiting to bring everything they loved crumbling to the ground.

“Too late?” Samael asked, his arms spreading wide around him, white wings extended as far out as they could go. “Look around you, Michael. It’s already too late.” His face contorted into a sneer. “Heaven is burning and there is nothing anyone can do. She chose this. She chose to create _them_ and love them more than us. _Us,_ her devoted subjects. All we wanted was to worship Her. To love Her and to do Her bidding. But She cast us aside. Made something better. She’s forgotten about us!”

With one final cry of rage and desperation, Michael lunged forward, heavenly blade darting forward, biting into the other angel’s flesh, striking him down.

The floor beneath them erupted in golden flames and Michael stumbled backward in shock, dropping their weapon to the ground. Green eyes flew wide as Samael simply smiled, showing no sign of fear or regret as the flames swallowed him whole and he went tumbling down, away from the only home he’d ever known.

* * *

Amber eyes scanned the skies below, frantically flitting back and forth, searching for a familiar head of blonde curls. A familiar set of bright blue eyes that filled Raphael’s heart with more joy than anything else in all of creation.

_Please, please be safe. Please don’t let him be gone. Please. I don’t care what happens to me, but keep my angel safe._

There was no sign of him anywhere. With twenty million of them clashing together like the force of two tidal waves, it came as no surprise that Raphael couldn’t find him. That thought did nothing to quell the panic in his heart as Raphael thought of his beautiful angel tumbling through the sky, white wings singed black.

Terror flooded his entire being, urging him onward. Filling his body with energy, his senses sharp and focused, hoping for some sort of miracle.

A figure stepped out of the smoke. For the briefest moment, Raphael’s heart dared to hope. In a flash of violet eyes, that hope died as Gabriel took another step toward him, sword raised between them.

“Don’t you ever wonder what it’s all about?” Raphael found himself asking first as tears flooded his cheeks. Surely Gabriel would understand. He’d been here since the beginning. Unlike all the other angels, he _knew_, just as Raphael knew. Just as all the other Archangels knew. She had designed this from the beginning. From the very start, She knew they would be faced with this tragedy and She’d done nothing to stop it.

“What’s the point to it? Why test us? Why test them? Why do any of it if it causes this much pain?”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. His grip on his sword tightened as he took several steps forward. Raphael stood his ground, amber eyes never leaving the other Archangel’s face.

“Our place is not to question,” Gabriel reasoned, the light in his eyes softening a bit as he registered the pain in Raphael’s eyes. “It is our place, as the First, to obey. We must have faith, Raphael, in Her Great Plan. Everything will make sense in time.”

Frustration gnawed at Raphael’s heart. “My questions are not a sign of a lack of faith, Gabriel,” he argued. “How is it wrong to want to understand?”

Once again, Gabriel’s face hardened. The violet in his eyes burned almost as brightly as the golden flames encircling them. Raphael felt his stomach sink as he realized his brother did not sympathize. Gabriel did not understand. He probably never would.

“Believe whatever you want,” the violet-eyed Archangel murmured, lowering his weapon to his side, a look of immense pain flowing onto his face. “Doing so won’t change the way things are. The way things have been and were always meant to be.”

And then, to Raphael’s horror, the floor opened up beneath him and he Fell.

* * *

Panic clawed at her heart as Remiel raced through the fire laden ground, looking for Hadriel. She had been with him not that long ago, meandering about Eden when something had called her home. They’d flown directly back to Heaven, but had somehow gotten separated along the way.

Remiel knew she should be looking for the other Archangels. Together they could stop all this. Together they could set things right. That was what they had been made for, hadn’t it? To create the world? To watch over it and protect it?

The Archangel knew what she should be doing, but her heart lead her in another direction, calling out for the tall, gentle angel with those storm grey eyes she could have spent all eternity looking into. He had to be here somewhere. They hadn’t been separated for long. She could find him first and then focus her attentions on locating the other Archangels.

“Hadriel!” she called, finally spotting him amongst the smoke. Her heart filled with relief as she took in the angel’s familiar form. He was safe. She could finally breathe again.

The angel turned around. His grey eyes went wide as Hadriel finally caught sight of her. For a moment, all time stopped. It was just the two of them in all the world.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and Remiel’s heart heard the sound through all the chaos and noise around them. She began running toward him, crossing the white ground beneath her feet in strides longer than she should be able to make, wings extending out behind her.

Fire erupted at Hadriel’s feet and Remiel cried out in pain. She lunged forward, reaching for him, ignoring the golden flames as they burned through her robe, leaving golden scorch marks across her skin. If only she could reach him, surely she could save him.

Their fingers brushed for just a moment, sending a spark of electricity up her entire arm, straight to her heart, shattering it into a million pieces. Then, before her eyes, Hadriel’s wings burned black and the ground opened up beneath him.

He slipped from her grasp as a series of soft words left his lips, absorbed by the chaos around them, but somehow still managing to make their way into Remiel’s heart where she was sure they would remain forever.

“I love you.”

* * *

His heart was breaking.

That was the only way to describe the ripping pain in his chest. Pain so intense he could barely breathe. Barachiel’s heart was tearing itself into a million pieces and there was nothing he could do to put it back together. He was surrounded by darkness and smoke and burning golden flames and no matter where he looked, he could not find any of the other Archangels. He could not find a single brother or sister to make sure that they were alright

He needed them to be alright. Every other angel in Heaven could fall and Barachiel would survive as long as the others were still here with him when the dust settled and the flames burned away to ash.

“Uriel!” he called out, smoke filling his lungs, making it hard to breath, hard to speak at all. “Michael! Gabriel! Raphael, Remiel! Where are you?”

_Please, please be safe. Please don’t let him be gone. Please. I don’t care what happens to me, but keep my angel safe._

The other angel’s prayer echoed in his mind, bright as day, shining like a beacon in the darkness. Barachiel turned his head toward the silent sound, his eyes widening as he saw two figures outlined in the smoke. One with flashing violet eyes, the other with long red hair the color of a sunset on a cloud-filled day.

The Archangel watched in horror as Gabriel advanced on Raphael. Watched with tears dancing in his eyes as the pair talked. Watched as the floor opened up beneath the one who created the stars and golden flames swallowed him whole, ripping him from Heaven’s grasp. Never to be seen again.

And in that moment, a part of all the Archangels died. They felt it, deep within their core, as part of their light was snuffed out forever. They would never be the same again.

Barachiel fell to his knees and wept. The tears flowed freely as his heart shattered into a million pieces. A wail left his lips and he wrapped his wings around him, blocking out the light and the darkness. The flames and the smoke and the steel blades and the screams and all the breaking hearts. He blocked it all out and prayed that his eyes would never open again.

* * *

What came next is well enough known. A snake slithered up to the surface of the Earth. A woman tasted the supple juices of the forbidden fruit. An angel gave away his sword and shielded a demon from the first drops of rain that splattered against the desert sands.

All of Heaven cried.

* * *

The humans traveled far from Eden, across the desert to find their new home. Time marched steadily onward, granting no mercy, showing no favors. For a while, there were only two of them. Then, a third human joined the pack. Some time later, so did a fourth. Then a fifth and a sixth.

Small humans became large and started to ask questions. Why were they here? What was their purpose? Where was God and why had She left them all alone? If She loved them so much, why did She leave them? What had they done that was so wrong?

They forged a new home for themselves in the wasteland, far from Eden. Far from the memories that haunted them while they slept. They tilled the soil and watched over the flocks, and life was hard, but there was goodness to it. They had each other. They had their family. They had a future.

But not all futures are meant to last, and sin had not left the Earth with the first bite of the apple. Brother turned against brother and in a fit of jealous rage, the first life was taken.

And thus the Seventh was born, from the fire and flame of hatred and resentment. Rising from the blood-soaked sand – an Archangel that knew nothing of Heaven or how the world had been before. Azrael opened his ice blue eyes, as cold as Abel’s lips would soon become and breathed in the scent of sorrow and regret and pain. Scents he would become all too familiar with as time went on.

The sun set on a day much later than the seventh and Azrael reached up a hand, shaving off a corner of the Heavens, allowing it to slowly drift down toward him, marveling as it shimmered like smooth silk around his fingertips. With it, Azrael took all their knowledge that rightfully belonged to him. He took their pain, their grief. Their memories of those who had fallen, leaving behind only the faintest of traces. The golden scars on their skin and enough fear and sorrow to remind them of what could be, so that they would never let it happen again.

Azrael wrapped himself in the cloak of starlight, allowing the overwhelming grief to settle in between his shoulders before taking his first step. One foot after the other, he began to wander, searching for the next soul who was destined to depart this world. A game he was destined to play for the rest of eternity.

Death had come to the world, at last. And he had no plans to leave it anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp...that's it guys. If you liked what I had going on here, I'd love to hear from you. This was a super fun project to work on and I'd definitely love to expand upon it some day. 
> 
> If you're interested to see some more of these characters, my fic "Love is a Temporary Madness" follows all of them after the events of Armageddon. Feel free to check it out!

**Author's Note:**

> If any of you are currently reading my story 'Love is a Temporary Madness' these short prompts will give you a little bit more background on each of the Archangels that appear in that story. I left Sandalphon off the list on purpose, because in my head (for this particular story) he is called in as a replacement Archangel after one was lost.
> 
> Anyway, I know this is short, but if you liked it, I'd love to hear from you.
> 
> Catch you all tomorrow for Day #2!
> 
> Find me on tumblr @braver-stronger-smarter


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